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Interview with Alon Chen, President of the Weizmann Institute of Science 

January 30, 2023/in Story Category Test /by Michelle

In November 2021, the Azrieli Foundation and the Weizmann Institute of Science announced the establishment of the Azrieli Institute for Brain and Neural Sciences.  

With the Foundation’s leading donation of US$50 million, the Weizmann Institute campus in Rehovot, Israel will be home to a new flagship neuroscience research institute, housed in a state-of-the art building. This is the latest chapter in the Azrieli Foundation’s long-time partnership with Weizmann; prior to this gift, the Foundation gave nearly US$30 million for a range of Weizmann research endeavors, facilities and fellowships. 

Prof. Alon Chen is the President of the Weizmann Institute of Science, and an active neuroscientist who studies the neurobiology of stress. We spoke with Prof. Chen about the new initiative and his vision for its future. 

Azrieli Foundation: It has been a year since the announcement of the Azrieli Institute for Brain and Neural Sciences. Can you talk about any developments? 

Alon Chen: It was a fantastic year of fundraising for this important project. We have already raised 91 per cent of the cost of the construction of the building, which is on schedule to start in July or August, 2023. In brain and neuroscience, the medical need is so immense, and it’s such a complex system, that it was relatively easy to excite the community around the world. 

We also made some structural changes to prepare for the academic launch such as organizing our approximately 40 neuroscience research groups on campus into two departments – the Department for Brain Sciences and the Department for Molecular Neuroscience – which will enhance the capabilities of the Azrieli Institute. 

AF: The announcement emphasized the creative interfaces that can emerge when scientists from various disciplines work under one roof. Can you give an example from your own research where physical proximity to scientists from other areas of expertise made an impact? 

AC: Our scientists have the freedom to explore. Especially within the domain of neuroscience – this is such a multidisciplinary field that you need people not only from the biomedical fields to provide their expertise, but also from physics, math, computer science, psychology and so on. From my own experience in biomedical neuroscience, I can give two examples. 

My lab is studying the brain’s responses to stressful stimuli and how this is related to different psychopathologies, and we are collecting a lot of behavioural and physiological data. The collaboration with Prof. Elad Schneidman’s lab allowed us to establish mathematical models to extract knowledge from the vast amount of data that we are generating. We managed to develop a much more sophisticated approach and ensure the preclinical animal research stage more closely resembles the human pathology. This would not have happened if Elad and I hadn’t crossed paths in the corridor and gone to lunch or coffee to discuss these concepts together – which is exactly what we did. 

The second and shorter example is collaborating with clinicians – in my case, psychiatrists. The clinical perspective totally changes the way we approach certain questions. Human and clinical data allow us to expand the type of science we are doing. 

AF: Weizmann has a strong vision of “science for the benefit of humanity,” and is internationally renowned for excellence in fundamental research. What is your approach to translating discoveries from basic science into knowledge that benefits people?  

AC: We all agree that it’s important to find solutions for Alzheimer’s or ALS, but our approach is not to develop a treatment per se. Our aim is to develop solutions through a very deep mechanistic understanding of the systems. And this recipe has been working for almost 90 years now. It may take two or three decades to see the impact – but eventually, it’s creating huge leaps in knowledge that benefit humanity. 

AF: You became the president of Weizmann in December of 2019, only a few months before the effects of the pandemic were felt worldwide. How did that affect your vision of what you wanted to do at the Institute? 

AC: The Weizmann never really stopped working. With all the limitations, we kept the science going, and we succeeded in doing so even though we periodically had to reduce the number of people on campus dramatically to keep everyone healthy. The pandemic didn’t change my scientific vision, but it helped shape part of it in the sense that the public and policymakers and politicians realized that science was responsible for the solution – and that science can and should actively be promoted on the world stage. While COVID was an extremely unfortunate thing, the turn of events in the last few years has put us in a position to further promote our scientific vision for the Institute. 

When the pandemic started, we had only two research groups working on viruses, and within two or three weeks, our scientists initiated more than 60 research projects on COVID – representing 25 per cent of all the research on campus. Not because we asked them to, but because they had the freedom of philosophy, and they just decided they wanted to take part. In response to our scientists’ initiatives, we established a fund for COVID research, and our supporters worldwide contributed, within weeks. We are very proud of what we have achieved over these two and a half years. 

AF: One of your first official visits as president was to Canada in February 2020. Why did you feel compelled to make Canada one of your first destinations in your new role? And how do you envision the collaboration between Israeli and Canadian institutions going forward? 

AC: We have an extremely strong community of friends of the Weizmann Institute in Canada, which encouraged me to visit and promote my scientific vision in my first months as president. Susan Stern, CEO of Weizmann Canada, is doing amazing work building and nurturing these relationships. We also have a long-term relationship with the Azrieli Foundation in Canada – as you know, this is not the first gift. [Other Azrieli investments at Weizmann include the Azrieli Institute for Systems Biology and the Azrieli National Institute for Human Brain Imaging and Research, and a major donation for Fragile X research.] 

Many of our scientists have ongoing collaborations with Canadian scientists, and we are trying to expand this as much as we can. Recently, we had a terrific delegation of Canadian university presidents who visited multiple universities and institutions in Israel, including Weizmann. The Azrieli Foundation was a sponsor of this visit. I am already in communication with several of university presidents to develop future partnerships. 

AF: The Azrieli Foundation, Weizmann Canada and the Weizmann Institute of Science have maintained a special partnership over many years. What makes this an effective philanthropic partnership? 

AC: It’s a combination of trust, goals and vision. I think the Weizmann Institute and the Azrieli Foundation have a very similar approach toward science: curiosity-based research, academic freedom, a focus on scientific excellence. 

It’s easy to work with people who really have the passion for science, and it’s strongly reflected in my discussions with the Azrieli Foundation team. They have a strong passion for neuroscience – and for me, it’s easy, because I’m a neuroscientist – but regardless, this is clearly the last frontier in biomedical research. Solutions will only come from a foundational understanding of this complex machine, by bringing together the brightest minds from different fields of research and providing them with the resources and the right setting to generate new knowledge – together. The campus is extremely excited about this initiative.  

As for the establishment of the Azrieli Institute for Brain and Neural Sciences, it goes without saying that such a visionary donation creates momentum, inspires others and sets a high bar for giving. 

This interview has been condensed for length and clarity. 

https://azrielifoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Alon-Chen-Photo-Axel-Griesch-scaled.jpg 1707 2560 Michelle https://azrielifoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo.svg Michelle2023-01-30 10:27:092023-02-22 09:18:27Interview with Alon Chen, President of the Weizmann Institute of Science 

This Social Enterprise Network is building a neurodiverse workforce 

June 28, 2022/in Story Category Test /by Marie Berges

Opening doors to opportunity for all involves breaking down barriers — and a lack of access to meaningful and supportive employment is one of many systemic barriers faced by neurodivergent people.  In Canada, there are around 500,000 working age adults with intellectual disabilities or autism; yet approximately 88% are unemployed or underemployed. 

Embracing neurodiversity in the workplace not only means those who may have been traditionally denied opportunities can access employment; it means a more skilled and creative workforce.  

The concept of “business for the greater good” is what informs social enterprises, which aim to achieve social, cultural or environmental benefits by selling goods and services, feeding profits back into their mission. An important subcategory — the employment social enterprise— creates opportunities for people facing barriers into the labour market by providing training, employment and wraparound supports; this is a natural fit for bringing inclusivity principles and practices into the workplace. 

In February 2020, the Azrieli Foundation arranged a workshop, run by Start Co., to help organizations create a social enterprise business plan.  

“I’ll never forget the intensity of that first (and only) in-person meeting,” says Eve Rochman, Founding Director of Zera Café, a not-for-profit social enterprise catering business with a neurodiverse staff.  

At the time, Zera Café was very early in its development. Rochman says networking with more mature, like-minded organizations helped her envision possibilities for the future.  

Rochman’s most significant takeaway from that session was “how important it was to be very clear and specific about what we were doing, and then be prepared to justify and defend the plan we had to make it happen.”  

As the organization grows, she still makes use of the presentation deck and elevator pitch she created that day — and continues to benefit from participating in the Social Enterprise Network that was developed after the first workshop. 

Since late 2020, the Foundation has facilitated a network of organizations that are in various stages of developing social enterprises. This Social Enterprise Network currently has more than 30 members (including both for-profit and not-for-profit entities from across Ontario and Quebec), all with the goal of providing adults with neurodiverse needs with meaningful and supportive employment as they enter the labour market. Members meet quarterly to share knowledge and resources, develop new skills and discuss things like business development and strategic partnerships, mental health and business law.   

The Network is led by Orly Fruchter, Manager of Neurodiverse Initiatives at the Azrieli Foundation. She works alongside a different co-chair for each meeting, generating the content collaboratively and adapting it to meet the group’s needs. The Network helps enterprises succeed, and, in turn, empowers them to hire more adults with disabilities. Connections made among members have already led to several business collaborations. Courier service Good Foot Delivery hired the cleaning crew from Community Living Toronto for its offices, and Toronto’s DANI hired Montreal-based Promo21 to print silk screen reusable bags for a fundraiser.  

The Network is helping aspiring and existing social enterprises harness resources and maximize their impact. As a result, these businesses are enabling neurodivergent individuals to find meaningful and equitable employment opportunities and participate fully in their communities.  

Stu Guttman, an active advocate for the neurodivergent community and former Director of Development at Summit School in Montreal, feels great pride in participating in this initiative.  

“A community is a group of people who agree to grow together,” he says. “The community that has been created through [the Network] has grown into something that is truly unique, beneficial and beautiful. Each member contributes, in an open and safe environment, with the shared goal of helping create a better tomorrow.” 

Social Enterprise Network meeting, October 2021. Members are celebrating Light It Up! For NDEAM (National Disability Employment Awareness Month), a campaign by the Ontario Disability Employment Network to highlight the importance of disability-inclusive employment.

https://azrielifoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/SEN-for-web-story.jpg 1500 2100 Marie Berges https://azrielifoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo.svg Marie Berges2022-06-28 09:45:332023-02-01 16:03:55This Social Enterprise Network is building a neurodiverse workforce 

Promoting multidisciplinary research at the Azrieli Fellows Forums 

June 28, 2022/in Story Category Test /by admin-dev

Since its inception 15 years ago, the Azrieli Fellows Program has fostered academic excellence by providing generous fellowships to exceptional scholars. The quarterly Azrieli Fellows Forums give these researchers the opportunity to connect with one another and expand their perspectives.  

The Fellows Program has three tracks for academics at different stages of their research careers: the Graduate Studies Fellowship, the International Postdoctoral Fellowship and the Early Career Faculty Fellowship. Fields of study include education, exact sciences, life sciences, architecture, social sciences and humanities.  

Nearly 60 new Fellows join the Fellows Program every year. Of those, 25 are Graduate Studies Fellows from one of eight academic institutions in Israel. The Program hosts a range of career-focused and social activities, including four annual meetings — known as Fellows Forums — where the Graduate Studies members present their research to the Fellows community. The Forums give them the opportunity to network, enhance their professional and social lives and learn about the research projects of their peers. Ultimately, the Forums promote multidisciplinary research and help broaden participants’ horizons beyond their specific area of study. 

Fellows Program staff work with a steering committee of current Fellows to offer engaging day-long programming at the Forums. New Fellows are given the opportunity to present their research, get feedback and participate in a variety of activities such as academic “speed dating” and roundtables.  

The Azrieli Fellows Program makes significant efforts to support Fellows’ professional and soft skills development. Before each Forum, participating speakers are trained to improve their presentation skills through a workshop and one-on-one sessions with a communications and storytelling professional. Each presentation is filmed, enabling speakers to receive feedback from the trainer. Speakers are also paired with professionals in their field (both within and outside of the Azrieli Fellows community), who view their presentations and provide academic input.

At the height of the pandemic, all forums took place over Zoom. However, during the past academic year, half of the Forums took place in person.   

The feedback from the Fellows community about one of their latest forums has been extremely positive.  

“I found it intellectually and psychologically invigorating,” says one participant, who described the forum as “a special, enriching experience.”  

Photo: Shauli Lendner

Another Fellow couldn’t choose just one favourite part of the day, noting: “I super enjoyed Kahoot and speed dating, and of course, the research presentations.”  

Photo: Shauli Lendner
https://azrielifoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Fellows-for-web-story.jpg 1500 2100 admin-dev https://azrielifoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo.svg admin-dev2022-06-28 09:45:032022-07-14 17:17:28Promoting multidisciplinary research at the Azrieli Fellows Forums 
Researcher reviewing brain scans

Introducing the Azrieli Accelerator at the University of Calgary

March 23, 2022/in Story Category Test /by Marie Berges

Continuing its groundbreaking support of brain research, particularly in neurodevelopment, the Azrieli Foundation announced on January 26th a new commitment of $25 million to the University of Calgary.

The Azrieli Foundation’s donation enabled the creation of the Azrieli Accelerator, UCalgary’s new initiative to transform neurodevelopment research. This marks the first major philanthropic investment by the Azrieli Foundation in western Canada. The Accelerator will fuel collaborative research locally, nationally and internationally; advance new therapies and programs; and, most importantly, make a difference for people with neurodevelopmental disabilities across their lifespan and for their families.

Researchers from across UCalgary faculties will address many critical scientific questions including how environmental factors such as the microbiome affect brain development and brain health. The University’s “neurons to networks to neighbourhoods” approach shares the Azrieli Foundation’s belief that it takes a holistic approach, including people both inside and outside of the medical system and research labs, to bring progress to those who need it.

To learn more about the Azrieli Accelerator, visit their website.

https://azrielifoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Azrieli-Accelerator-Story-Hero-Image.jpg 684 1024 Marie Berges https://azrielifoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo.svg Marie Berges2022-03-23 14:26:142023-02-01 16:01:38Introducing the Azrieli Accelerator at the University of Calgary
Azrieli National Centre for Autism and Neurodevelopment Research

Introducing the Azrieli National Centre for Autism and Neurodevelopment Research

December 8, 2021/in Story Category Test /by Marie Berges

With the Azrieli Foundation’s recent donation of NIS 40 million, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) is now home to the newly-named Azrieli National Centre for Autism and Neurodevelopment Research, a leading international centre for innovation in translational research, diagnosis and interventions in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental conditions.

This new centre builds on the legacy of the National Autism Center of Israel established in 2018 with funding awarded to BGU by the Israeli Ministry of Science and Technology. They focus on developing shared resources such as the National Autism Database and Biobank, enabling collaboration with other ASD research and clinical centres in Israel. Researchers and clinical faculty leverage their complementary expertise to develop a highly innovative and integrated model of research and clinical care at Soroka University Medical Center (SUMC). They build partnerships across the entire Israeli research community, with health care and child care providers, families, government and industry.

The Azrieli Foundation’s donation will enable the centre to build on existing initiatives and grow in new areas. One such initiative will allocate start-up funds to promote collaborative research projects between researchers from accredited Israeli universities and medical centres, who will be selected by a national inter-university committee. By prioritizing high-risk, high-impact projects, the centre has the potential to catalyze transformative results. Researchers from across Israel will be invited to use the centre’s data and infrastructure to accelerate and elevate their work leading to national and international collaborations and new discoveries.

The centre’s ability to conduct groundbreaking research depends on recruiting outstanding PhD and post-doctoral students, and Azrieli Foundation funding will allow the establishment of training fellowships to attract the best and brightest students. Learn more about postgraduate research training opportunities, and visit the Science Abroad website for more information about opportunities for faculty members.

The core faculty is a growing and extremely impactful team, with broad disciplinary range and academic affiliations. Read more about the team.

The Azrieli National Centre for Autism and Neurodevelopment Research team includes (left to right): Dr. Gal Meiri, Prof. Hava Golan, Prof. Ilan Dinstein, Mrs. Mazal Malka and Prof. Idan Menashe.
https://azrielifoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Azrieli-National-Centre-for-Autism-and-Neurodevelopment-Research.jpg 1365 2048 Marie Berges https://azrielifoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo.svg Marie Berges2021-12-08 10:45:312023-02-01 15:59:03Introducing the Azrieli National Centre for Autism and Neurodevelopment Research
Azrieli Foundation Board of Directors

Opening doors to a better world

August 25, 2021/in Story Category Test /by Benita Hansraj

From our most vulnerable to our most exceptional, we all have a contribution to make. For potential to flourish, however, it needs opportunity, guidance, an empathetic hand and a courageous heart.

The Azrieli Foundation is Canada’s largest non-corporate foundation. We connect and nurture potential, wherever it exists, with the resources and the wisdom it needs to open the doors to a better world, one individual at a time.

These are some of the stories of how the Azrieli Foundation and the people and organizations we support are making an impact in the world.

Read the Azrieli Foundation’s 2021 Impact Report

https://azrielifoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/2021-Impact-Story-Hero.jpg 1365 2048 Benita Hansraj https://azrielifoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo.svg Benita Hansraj2021-08-25 11:25:242021-09-09 06:48:28Opening doors to a better world

Aperio: Latin for uncover, reveal or make clear

July 5, 2021/in Story Category Test /by Benita Hansraj

Azrieli Fellows are generating new knowledge in all fields of study, for the advancement of humanity in Israel and around the world.

In June, the Azrieli Foundation launched Aperio, a new digital and print publication which showcases the work of these outstanding early career faculty, postdoctoral researchers, PhD candidates and graduate students. 

Aperio highlights some of the outstanding work of Azrieli Fellows. From a metabolic engineer to a cybersecurity expert to a quantum physicist, they all have one thing in common: their cutting-edge research has been supported by the Azrieli Foundation.

Read about these leading international scientists and scholars in the formative stages of their careers and be inspired by the magnitude of their curiosity, their desire to make new discoveries, and their drive for excellence and impact.

https://azrielifoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/azrieli_aperiostory.jpg 780 1200 Benita Hansraj https://azrielifoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo.svg Benita Hansraj2021-07-05 16:43:192021-07-05 17:04:20Aperio: Latin for uncover, reveal or make clear

Right place, right time, right size

June 16, 2021/in Story Category Test /by Benita Hansraj

When assessing program and project grant requests, the Azrieli Foundation carefully considers what size contribution will make a meaningful and sustainable impact.

This practice is called “right-sizing” a grant. While the Foundation is often recognized for its largest investments, sometimes even a small contribution to the right organization, at the right time, can make all the difference.

Over the past three years, the Foundation has made a $4,000 annual grant to Concerts Lachine. This contribution helped launch the Lachine International Vocal Academy (LIVA), an intensive summer training program for emerging vocal talent. While the contribution overall seems small, it was exactly what Concerts Lachine needed to close its funding gap and open the Academy.

As a result of this contribution, LIVA has assembled an enviable faculty and provided career-boosting training to a cadre of talented young singers. Learn more about LIVA alumni and faculty.

https://azrielifoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Right-Time-Right-Place-Right-Size.jpg 780 1200 Benita Hansraj https://azrielifoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo.svg Benita Hansraj2021-06-16 16:01:442021-07-05 15:05:16Right place, right time, right size

The Nose Knows

June 16, 2021/in Story Category Test /by Marie Berges

The human olfactory system plays a key role not only in smell, but also in our most basic social interactions, emotions and recollections.

The Azrieli Foundation has supported the extraordinary work of Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science for many years. With a shared vision to enable scientific research for the benefit of humanity, the Foundation has made significant donations to ground-breaking neurodevelopmental research, systems biology and generous fellowships.

Most recently, the Azrieli Foundation established the Azrieli National Institute for Human Brain Imaging and Research at Weizmann. With a gift of $15 million, Weizmann was able to purchase a 7 Tesla (7T) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine and develop a country-wide research hub that provides unique opportunities and clinical collaborations focused on the human brain. At 7T, the MRI has the highest power currently in use with human subjects and is the only such machine in the Middle East.

One of the key challenges to fully understanding how the human brain works is its exceptionally complex connectivity. To probe this connectivity, scientists need to measure activity from the entire brain simultaneously, and functional brain imaging is the best, and nearly only, way to do this.

An MRI can provide scientists and clinicians with information that is impossible to get any other way. It can record the brain both when at rest and when actively performing a sensory or cognitive task. Most brain imaging is done with MRIs with lower field strength (1.5T or 3T). The higher the magnetic field, the better the resolution of images, and the faster they can be obtained, which means that more information can be extracted from images.

Here is a glimpse into some of the research done at the Azrieli National Institute for Human Brain Imaging using the 7T MRI.

The Director of the Azrieli National Institute for Human Brain Imaging and Research is Prof. Noam Sobel. His fascinating area of research explores how the brain processes smell, which is called olfaction.

The human olfactory system plays a key role not only in smell, but also in our most basic social interactions, emotions and recollections. Faulty functioning of this system may indicate early signs of neurological and cognitive deteriorations, for example, in Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.

Prof. Sobel has pioneered the development and construction of tools that emit and measure smells, and led the way in the use of brain imaging to measure the human brain’s response to odors. His earlier efforts include explaining how the brain uses two nostrils to form an olfactory image and developing technology that enables severely disabled people to communicate and steer a wheelchair by simply sniffing. More recent examples include using olfactory responses to predict who will recover from coma and brain injury, and a numerical way to represent odors – “a measure of smell” – that may one day make it possible to transmit smell over the internet. The Sobel group has also been very involved in the response to COVID-19, developing an online olfactory self-test  known as SmellTracker that allows for rapid self-diagnosis at home.

One of the key challenges to fully understanding how the human brain works is its exceptionally complex connectivity.

https://azrielifoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Weizman-Institute.jpg 780 1200 Marie Berges https://azrielifoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo.svg Marie Berges2021-06-16 07:03:532023-02-01 15:54:28The Nose Knows

The Final Frontier

May 9, 2019/in Story Category Test /by Marie Berges

“1 in 3 Canadians are directly impacted by disorders of the brain… It’s a very basic question: What are we going to do about it?”

– Naomi Azrieli

The following is an excerpt from a speech given by Naomi Azrieli celebrating Brain Canada’s 20th anniversary:

Brain Canada’s mission is to understand the brain in health and in disease.

This simple statement is in fact a major challenge, but one which Brain Canada has embraced.

Surprisingly, despite the intensity and growth in any number of fields of discovery in the 21st century, brain research is still in its infancy.

With so much unknown, brain research today is where cancer and heart disease research were in the early 20th century.

Man studies 3D image of the brain on a computer for research.

Yet, it is also true that we know much more now than we did 20 years ago when Brain Canada was founded. We have learned more about the brain in the last 5 years than we have in the previous 5000.

We are at a critical point in scientific history, poised to make major discoveries on the brain which will improve human lives and society. Brain Canada is the key enabler and supporter of that progress.

It has catalyzed new research, convened a nation-wide community of scientists, clinicians and stakeholders and leveraged federal funding. Through its network of partners, sponsors and donors, Brain Canada has more than doubled the investment from Health Canada, amplifying its impact and injecting close to $250 million into Canadian brain research.

Researcher testing liquids in vials with a dropper for research of the brain.

Brilliant young brain researchers in Canada are without a doubt the best source of innovation and creativity, and yet, they face enormous hurdles as they launch their careers, including finding funding for the great ideas as they work to prove themselves.

Brain Canada is tackling this issue by launching the Future Leaders in Brain Research Program, which will invest $15 million in early-career scientists. The funding will build the capacity of newly-established researchers, helping to increase the strength and expertise that will lead to further discoveries, treatments and cures.  

“The Early-Career Capacity Building Grant will enable my lab to think outside the box… and provides the perfect complement to our research that is funded through more conventional funding.”

– Matthew Parsons, PhD Researcher, Memorial University of Newfoundland

Early-career investigators currently funded by Brain Canada and the Azrieli Foundation

Early Career InvestigatorsDownload
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The Azrieli Foundation
The Azrieli Foundation
The Azrieli Foundation is strictly apolitical. As a registered charity, the Azrieli Foundation does not engage in or fund any partisan political activities.

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